Fire-finishing machine.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

H. L. BOCK. FIRE FINISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

fro/6,7060 r .7/n/ryj 750 01% PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904,

H. L. BOOK. FIRE FINISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

7mm: Ma r PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

H. L. BOGK. FIRE FINISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1902.

3 BHBETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

Patented September 6, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. BOCK, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TOLEDO GLASSCOMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FIRE-FINISHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,644, datedSeptember 6, 1904.

Application filed April 7, 1902. Serial No. 101,761. \No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY L. Boon, a citi- The machine herein shown andwhich con- 1 tains my invention is one which was particularly designedfor finishing tumblers, and combines means for fire-finishing thetumbler and for afterward shaping it by rotating it in a mold, whichmold is preferably a paste-lined mold.

The invention consists particularly in constructing a machine in whichthe article to be fire-finished may be held by a so-ealled suction-armwith a seat on its end for the article, with means for exhausting theair from beneath the article to hold it on the arm by atmosphericpressure, such arm or seat carrying the article to the glow box orburner and rotating it in operative relation thereto during thefire-finishing process, also having means for cutting off the vacuumfrom the seat in case no article is placed thereon, and, further. in theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, as morefully hereinafter described,

ln the drawings,Figure 1 is a section through my improved machine onsuch a line as to show the article in the glow-box at one point in theoperation and the article in the finishing or shaping mold at anotherpoint in the operation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 isan elevation of the mold-actuating mechanism. Fig. a is an enlarged viewof a detail of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section through the glow-box A is asuitable base having a central sleeve or socket B, in which is secured avertical shaft C. At the top of this shaft is secured a spiderframe I),which at its outer end supports a ring E.

1 machine.

F is a sleeve surrounding the middle portion of the shaft C, having aseries of radial arms F, which carry at their outer ends a ring G. Theparts F, F, and Cr form a rotary frame or spindle-carrier. Thespindle-carrier has secured to it a worm-wheel H, which is driven by aworm H on the shaft H, which shaft in turn is driven by a suitablebelting from a motor I, preferably secured on the base of the On thering (1 at suitable points are journal-bearings 1 for the hollow arms orspindles J. These spindles at their inner ends are journaled in bearingJ on the collar J which is secured to the top of the spindle-car-. rieror frame, as plainly shown in Fig. 1.

\Vithin the collar J around the shaft C is an annular chamber K, whichcommunicates with the passage K through the shaft C, which passage isconnected through any suitable connections at the lower end, such as apipe K with an exhaust apparatus, so as to make the chamber,K an exhaustor vacuum chamber, and as the ends of the spindles J communicate withthe chamber K the air will be exhausted from the interior of saidspindles or arms. To the outer end of the spindles are attached thepinions L, which for a part of their travel or movement mesh with therack-bar L on the under side of the ring E of the spiderframe 1).

M is a glow-box segmental in shape closed on the top, bottom, and rearside and having a slot M on its inner side, its ends being open orhaving openings through which the article to be tirefinished and whichis supported upon the spindle may enter and find exit, the spindlespassing through the slot M on the inner side. This glow-box ispreferably lined with fire-clay and is provided at N with a gasinlet andat N with a gas and air inlet or Bunsen burner to maintain combustionpractically the entire length of the glow-box.

The spindles J have a valve-seat (a near their outer ends and a valve 6for closing the same. This valve is on the end of the stem 0, which inthis construction extends in through the inner end of the spindle andinto the annular chamber K. In the normal position of parts this valveis drawn to its seat by the suction and is moved away from its seat whenthe glass article is desired to be secured on the end of the spindle bymeans of the engagement of the end of the stem 0 against the cam (Z,secured on the shaft C, as plainly'shown in Fig. 1.

On the end of the spindle is a seat 0 for the glass article, such as atumbler f. This seat has an aperture it, so that when the valve 5 isopened the air will be drawn in through the aperture it, and if thetumbler or other article is placed upon the seat it will be held tightlythereon by the atmospheric pressure. It is evident that just as soon asthe tumbler is placed upon the seat there will be'no longer an indraftof air. Consequently the valve 6 will remain in its open positionwithout the necessity of being held open by the cam, while if thetumbler should be knocked off accidentally or the tumbler should fail tobe placed on the seat of each spindle the valve would be drawn to itsseat as soon as it has left the raised part of the cam cl.

The operation of the parts so far described is as follows: Motion beingimparted from the motor I to the shaft H the spindle-carrier will beslowly rotated by the. gear connection,

from theshaft H consisting of the worm H and the worm-wheel H. The cam(Z is so constructed as to open the valve 7) at the point 0 indicated inthe plan view, and at this point the operator places a tumbler upon theseat, where it is held by the atmospheric pressure during the travel ofthe spindle. In order to positively center the article on the spindle,there is arranged a centering-plate O in the path of the article and atsuch a point that as the spindle revolves if the article is placedeccentrically upon the spindle it will roll on the centering-plate andslide it across the seat until it is perfectly centered, so that thecenter of the article is in line with the axis of rotation ofthespindle. The spindle is rotated by the engagement of the pinion L withthe rack L, and the article is firefinished by passing through theglow-box, the spindle entering through the slot M and travcling thewhole length of the box, being slowly rotated during such travel. Withthis construction the axis of the article to be firefinished ispreferably horizontal, or substantially so, so that if the glass isheated (as it usually is) to a plastic condition there is no tendencyfor it to become shortened or elongated, as is the case in machines inwhich the article is fire-finished while standing in a verticalposition, either upright or inverted. It will also be observed that withthis machine I am able to fire-finish the entire article while holdingit in this horizontal position. because I do away with the use .ofguides which grasp or inclose the exterior of the article, the holdingmeans being applied directly to and only upon the bottom of the tumbler.I not only am thus able to finish the entire exterior so as to perfectlyeliminate all mold-marks on pressed ware, but also am enabled to supportthe article by holding it by atmospheric pressure without marring ormarking the bottom face thereon in any way.

Vhile I have shown and believe it is desirable in most cases to use mysupportingspindle arranged in a horizontal or substantially horizontalposition. I believe that my invention is not limited to such arrangementand use.

When the article is fire-finished, it is necessary usually to shape andfurther finish it, and this I preferably do, as shown in the drawings,while the article is still held upon the spindle J, by revolving thearticle rapidly inside of a mold, preferably a paste-lined mold. Forthis I use two mold-sections P, which together form a complete mold,supported and carried by the spindle-carrier, one pair below eachspindle. These mold-sections P, I show as carried on arms P. attached tothe outer end of shafts P journaled in bearings Q, in brackets Q,connected to the under side of the ring G, as plainly shown in Fig. 1.The shafts P one for each of the mold-sections, are arranged a shortdistance apart and are provided on their inner ends with pinions R,which are actuated by a rack-bar R, having teeth upon opposite sides.This rackbar slides in suitable guides in the inner face of the bracketQ and is provided with a rollerwrist S, engaging a camway S on the outerface of the flange T, which is secured to the base of the machine. T isa tank filled with water or other suitable fluid. The cam S is soconstructed that at approximately the beginning of the glow-box theroller-wrist is lifted up and the mold-sections are lowered, as shown atthe left hand in Fig. 1, into the tank, traveling therein while thearticle is being fire-finished in the glow-box. As the article emergesfrom the glow-box the moldsections are lifted from the tank by suitableinclines in the cam. After traveling a short distance from the glow-boxthe sections are closed about the article on the spindle, as shown atthe right hand in Fig. 1. As the mold-sections close about the articlethe pinion L runs off the end of the rack L, and at this point thespindle is rotated at a high speed, so as to more rapidly turn thearticle inside of the non-rotating mold. The speed of rotation issufficient to throw the plastic glass against the sides of the mold andnot only give it a perfect shape, but also polish it by the rapidrotation of the glass against the paste-lined surfaces of the mold. Therotation which the machine shown herein is clesigned to give at thispoint in the operation is about three hundred revolutions per minute. Ofcourse this may be varied to suit the requirements of the article andthe other conditions as experience and practice may suggest.

My mechanism for turningthis spindle at a high speed consists of adrive-wheel U, sleeved upon the shaft C above the collar l J and drivenby a belt connection from a suitable source of power to the drive-pulleyU, secured to the drive-wheel U. This drivewheel may be given constantmotion.

V is a friction drive-wheel slidingly secured upon the spindleJ andsplined thereto. This friction drive-wheel V engages in a socket 2',formed in the lever 7r, journaled on one of the arms F of thespindle-carrier and having a friction-roller at its upper end adapted tobear against the camway m, arranged at a 1 suitable point on the upperspider D, as plainly shown at the right hand of Fig. 1. As the siindle-carrier F travels and at the time when the mold closes about thearticle the roller Z strikes this cam m and forces the friction-Wheel Vinto driving contact with the drive-Wheel U, and thus the necessary highspeed is given to the spindle and the article thereon to properly finishthe article in the mold. As soon as the roller 1 passes off the 1 cam11/ the. spindle will cease rotation, and through the operation of themold-opening device the mold will be opened to permit of the articlebeing removed from the spindle and a new one placed thereon by anysuitable means. The cam S is of such shape that as the mold opens themoldsections will move in a substantially horizontal position until theyagain reach the tank, when they will descend into the water and theoperations already described be again repeated.

By the use of this machine I am enabled to take such articles astumblers directly from the press in which they are made and dispensewith the use of boy labor, which is very diflicult to get and which isvery uncertain when obtained, in fire-finishing articles. I am alsoenabled to fire-finish the articles throughout their entire lengthwithout marking the bottom of the article. so that when it 1 leaves themachine it is ready for the market without further operations.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a glass-finishing machine, atraveling rotary arm, a seat thereon for the work and means operable ata predetermined point in the travel of said seat for creating a suctionl at said seat to hold the work thereon by atmospheric pressure.

2. Inaglass-finishingmachine.a rotary arm, movable to and from a glowbox or furnace, a seat thereon for the work, and means oper able at apredetermined point in the travel of said seat for creating a suction atsaid seat to hold the work thereon by atmospheric pressure.

3. In a glass-finishing machine, a movable suction-arm, a seat thereonfor the work, means operable in the cycle of movement of the machine forcreating and maintaining a suction at said seat to hold the Work thereonby atmospheric pressure during an interval of time in said cycle ofmovement.

L. In a glass-finishing machine, a movable rotary suction-arm, a seatthereon for the article connected with an exhaust apparatus combinedwith means for automatically producing a vacuum. operable at apredetermined point in the cycle of movement of the machine to hold thearticle thereon.

5. In a glass-finishing machine, the combination with a furnace, glowbox or burner, of a rotary suction-arm, means for moving it to and fromthe furnace, a seat on the arm connected with an exhaust apparatus,means for automatically opening and closing said connection at apredeteri'nined point in the cycle of movement of the machine.

6. In a glass-finishing machine, the combii nation with a furnace orburner, of a traveling support, a series of rotary suction-arms thereonadapted to be moved to and from the furnace. a seat on each arm for thearticle, means for successively maintaining a vacuum at the seats of therespective arms, during the interval the arms are in operative relationto the furnace, and means for restoring atmospheric pressure to theseats after they leave the furnace.

7. In a glass-finishing machine, the combination with a furnace, orburner, of a traveling support, a series of rotary suction-arms thereon,adapted to be moved to and from the furnace, a seat on each arm,connected with an air-exhaust apparatus, and means for successivelyexhausting the air from said seat on each arm and for restoringatmospheric pressure to the seat.

8. A seat for a glass article. means for holding the article thereon byatmospheric pressure, a mold or former adapted to be applied to thearticle, and means for rapidly rotating the seat, to rotate the articlewhilein contact with the mold around a substantially horizontal axis.

9. The combination of a movable rotating suction-arm, means forproducing a vacuum at the seat for the article, and for automaticallyshutting it off when no article is placed thereon.

10. The combination of a movable rotating suction-arm, a seat for thearticle thereon, means for producing avacuum at the seat and l forautomatically disconnecting the seat from the vacuum-forming apparatuswhen no article is placed thereon.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY L. BOG K.

\Vitnesses:

NELLIE PHOENIX, "11. H. Honss.

